LA28, the committee behind the upcoming Summer Games and Paralympics in Los Angeles, made recent headlines after supporting and defending their chair, Casey Wasserman, whose name appeared in the ongoing Epstein files released last month.
The 35-member committee, which seems to be the only entity that could remove and unseat Wasserman, said that after they reviewed his documented interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, they did not go “beyond what has already been publicly documented.”
"The Executive Committee of the Board has determined that, based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful games,” the committee said in a statement.
Despite local leaders and organizations, including members of the L.A. City Council, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, representatives on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, demanding his removal from the games' leadership, the board has remained steady in its defense of Wasserman.
For starters, the official LA28 website only lists the names of the 35-member committee, failing to provide any additional information on their external position, affiliation, or background.
Despite the limited information that the board provides about its members, the influence they hold is exponential. Overall, they are in charge of the successful execution of the 2028 games through things like ensuring the games remain on budget, managing environmental sustainability and venues and securing corporate partnerships with companies such as Starbucks, Delta, Google, and Comcast.
Among the committee members who continue to defend Wasserman are local business, sports, and political leaders, including the following:
Latinos
Beatriz Acevedo is a Latina entrepreneur, co-founder and president of Mitú, or we are Mitú, a digital news and culture source for Latinos. Acevedo, who was born in Tijuana and raised in Mexico City, also co-founded SUMA Wealth, a financial wellness company and app that is said to help Latinos with tips about financial literacy and wealth-building tools.
The app uses AI “financial coaches” that help subscribers with budgeting, investing and receive personalized financial coaching.
“Your financial future can shine brighter than your abuela's saints' candles with our unlimited money-making tips, deals, and financial tools,” the official website states.
Acevedo is also the president of her family’s foundation, the Acevedo Foundation, which, according to its website, is committed to creating more equitable access to capital and mentorship for Latino entrepreneurs to elevate the community's needs and build generational wealth. She is also a member of the Latino Community Foundation.
Jessica Alba is known for acting roles in movies like “Fantastic Four” and “Good Luck Chuck,” among others. She is also the founder of the Honest Company, an L.A.-based consumer goods company specializing in baby, beauty and personal care items, including diapers and wipes, utilizing non-toxic, plant-based ingredients.
In 2015, numerous lawsuits claimed the company had deceptive labeling of ingredients, specifically sodium lauryl sulfate in laundry detergent.
The actress, who last month made a surprise dancing appearance during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, has also openly spoken about experiencing sexual harassment “all the time along the way” throughout her career in the Hollywood industry.
José E. Feliciano is a Puerto Rican-born American businessman, investor and multi-billionaire.
He is the co-founder of investment firm Clearlake Capital, a private investment firm in the technology, industrial and consumer sectors, managing over $90 billion of assets. The company is the majority owner of Chelsea Football Club, having acquired the team in May 2022.
Through the Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano Initiative, Feliciano and his wife have also donated to causes at Princeton University and Stanford University. He also serves on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino and today is one of the wealthiest Americans.
Pete Rodriguez is a labor union leader and member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, one of North America's largest building-trades unions, representing over 500,000 members in the construction and wood-products industries.
Besides joining the union in 1996, when he was doing highway and bridge work, there is not much public information about him. His father was an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. undocumented and worked as a union laborer as well.
Members Tied to President Donald Trump
Kevin McCarthy served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from January to October 2023. The Republican from Bakersfield, California, concluded his 16-year career after he was the first Speaker of the House in U.S. history to be formally removed from the position. McCarthy was initially a supporter of Trump until he stated Trump “bears responsibility” for the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a statement that he later retracted and once again became a vocal supporter of Trump's return to power.
Reince Priebus served as Trump’s chief of staff for the first six months of his first term. He was removed as White House chief of staff in July 2017 after being blamed for poor performance and leaking of documents. He also serves as a political analyst for Fox News, appearing across their platforms and news segments.
Billionaire Diane Hendricks, considered to be the wealthiest person in Wisconsin, has been a Trump mega-donor for years. Hendricks, who has openly said to be anti-union, faced controversy in the past for paying zero state income taxes in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014, although it was classified as legal due to business tax classifications. She has previously said to have built the majority of her multi-billion-dollar fortune through ABC Supply, one of the largest roofing supply companies in the U.S. Before that, she worked as a Playboy Bunny for about a year as a teenager, a job she said she took to support her child and pay her bills.
Billionaire Patrick Dumont is the owner of the National Basketball Association team, the Dallas Mavericks. He was also recently appointed chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands, a casino and resort company. He is also the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-American physician who has been ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world and has been a major Trump benefactor, as well as one of the largest donors to Republican causes. In 2018, Trump awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, for her work in support of Jewish causes and advocating for strong U.S.-Israel ties.
Others
Jeffrey Katzenberg served as chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994 and later as the chief executive officer and founder of DreamWorks Animation. For decades, he has been a top Democratic Party fundraiser, involved with campaigns for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and was a co-chair for Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of the board is not made up of former Paralympic athletes; instead, the majority of its members are billionaires and prominent political and business figures.
CNN reported last week that, according to their sources, the U.S. and International Olympic committees, which oversee and approve major LA28 decisions, have been engaged in backchannel conversations about Wasserman’s role, with a potential replacement floating around.
